


kismet

by ultraviolentae



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Bending (Avatar), Fictional Land, Hidden Social Criticism, Jeno (has a) Twin AU, Love Triangles, M/M, Mythology - Freeform, Self-Acceptance, Slow Burn, Spiritual, except not really.... i mean Kinda, painter/artist renjun is also a thing, people talk to gods n shit, venus is my homie btw
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2019-09-22
Packaged: 2020-07-11 16:44:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19931251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ultraviolentae/pseuds/ultraviolentae
Summary: You may run, you may hide, but what is written in the stars is impossible to deny.





	1. day one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay im sorry i keep making my fics more complicated i cant help myself #rip, i have created a carrd (that i have left at the end of this chapter) to explain this universe better and tbh i strongly suggest everyone to check it out. Any further questions, then just leave a comment or ask away on my curious cat!!
> 
> only disclaimer: if any sexual content however non-explicit it may be makes you uncomfortable, then this fic is most likely not for you :/

**I** t wasn't ideal. Renjun had never seen himself as someone who could ever become someone's servant but desperate times call for desperate measures. Hence why he finds himself all alone standing in front of the tall golden gate, staring ahead knowing there was no way back as his parents had already driven down the steep road and the nearest train station was about one hour away by walking — plus, he had already promised to go through with things, to turn back on his word would be cowardly and dishonest. 

The boy licks his dried up lips before dragging his feet till he's close enough to ring the doorbell. He straightens his back and breathes in deeply when the noise of heavy footsteps sounds in the distance. Renjun could already see the immensity of the garden from behind the gate, though that came as no surprise to him. The Sonrisa's household was known to be one of the largest of their land, one of the reasons Renjun had looked into finding a job within the house was the promise of a good pay. 

"Good evening." A lady greets him with a wide smile. The first thing the boy notices is how immaculate every part of her being was, from her pearly white straight teeth, to the perfectly ironed clothes, to the tight ponytail that swung gently at every move she'd make. Once again, that too came as no surprise to him, but seeing what was to be expected of him made his blood run cold. Renjun was a organised person that enjoyed his fair share of neatness, however it appeared things would be taken to an extra level from then on. 

"Good evening, i'm Renjun from the Amarillo household, i was accepted last week."

She nods calmly. "Yes, i was expecting you! Call me Jia, i'll be the one helping you around for now."

The gate opens quietly, Renjun almost forgets to breathe as he watches the structure move seemingly on its own — though when he looked back at Jia, he found her arm extended and the palm of her hand wide open. He envied her greatly, metal bending was still something he lacked even after years of practice. The boy had already accepted his failure as a earth bender but, deep down, he still longed to be a master of all of his three elements — a greedy wish, perhaps. 

A rock path extends all along the bright green grass. Renjun follows behind the woman in pure silence as he admires his surroundings. They were breathtaking, the gardens meticulously decorated with beautiful ornaments and vegetation that was clearly trimmed regularly. Had it not been for the annoying burning sensation of the scorching hot sun on his nape, the boy would've believed he had been transported into the inside of a beautiful painting, that none of what he was seeing was real. It was very much real however, it was hard to grasp the fact that that would be his home for many months to come, though surely he would barely have time to truly appreciate the beauty of it all. 

He doesn't know how long they had been walking for, it felt like they had crossed many lands with very different landscapes until the house finally shows up in the distance. Its white facade glints under the luminous sunrays, erected like a snow castle in the middle of a green and red sea of grass and roses. Renjun sucks in a breath and grips onto the strap of his bag tightly, it was a never-ending cycle of thinking nothing more delightful could possibly come along only to be greeted with something else that feasted his eyes with yet another dream-like sight. It was overwhelming, to say the least. 

"I will give you the correct attire and show you to your room, as you know you're expected to remain in the perimeters of the house for your stay here apart from special occasions, and also expected to take care of your room in the meantime. You can decorate it but be careful to not cause any permanent damage since it is not yours and the reparation will come from your own pocket."

Renjun nods knowing perfectly well she could not see him. He had looked forward to having his own room the most (even if he probably would not spend much time there either way). His parents were nosy, too nosy, privacy was almost non-existent for, even if he did technically own his own room, they still bargained as they pleased and rummaged through his belongings without permission to do so. It was irritating, Renjun just wanted some peace and time away from the chaoticness back at home. 

Well, there was that and there was also the fact that he desperately needed money to start a proper life without being dependant on his parents. Surely working for at least six months in one of the richest households around would give him enough savings to get himself a small apartment so that he could finally move out. 

They reach the door. The shiny varnished wooden door was a sight and a half with its adorned surface — Renjun promised himself to analyse every detail the second he got the chance to. The inside of house too left him awestruck, but he soon enough gets dragged away — literally since the woman could not bare that a single half a second pause would be made — from the luxurious entrance towards the less decorated areas which he assumed were where the servants lived. Even if it was obviously less taken care of, Renjun figured it still looked better than most parts of his own house. The thought makes him snort softly.

"Room 23." Jia informs with another bright smile. She extends his arms to give the boy his uniform and then moves to the side to allow him inside his new room. 

"Thank you."

"Once you're done, please meet me in room 18."

Renjun nods and, in just a blink of an eye, finds himself all alone. He closes the door behind him and analyses the room with a soft smile tugging at the corner of his lips. It wasn't spacious, but it was big enough to not make him feel claustrophobic. There was a fairly big window by his left right next to the bed that lit up the entire room in the sunsets' soft hues making it look even cozier and warm. Perfect, Renjun thinks as he sits on the soft bed and runs the palm of his hand across the baby blue duvet. 

After a few long minutes of admiring his bedroom, the boy finally remembers that he had been told to change as soon as possible. He holds the light blue shirt up in the air and cocks his head to the side. "Pretty." Renjun mutters as his eyes scan the embroidered emblem, it was far prettier than his household's that was for sure, though he sort of already missed the sight of jasmine instead of mandarin flowers. It too was blue instead of the yellow he was so accustomed, it was clear that the Sonrisa's colour was blue which, to be fair, wasn't bad. "At least it isn't neon pink."

He later finds out that he was given two choices of pants, white shorts that went slightly above his knee of straight pants that ended by his ankle. Renjun frowns, he hadn't expected to be told to wear shorts, but it made sense. Summer could get hellish hot and working while sweating buckets was anything but pleasant — not to mention that sweat stains made anyone look unprofessional. It was already the end of the day however so the boy opts by the safest choice: the long pants. 

By the side of a big wooden wardrobe was a full body mirror that he uses to check if everything was in order. He tucks in the shirt and flops the long loose sleeves around making himself chuckle childishly thinking that he looked like a bird. 

Renjun puts on his old shoes and walks out of the room to go and find Jia which should be in a nearby room, it takes less than two minutes before he reaches his destination. He knocks once and soon enough the woman shoes up with her infamous grin, she scans him from top to bottom and then puckers her lips before pushing him inside. 

"Okay, so i need your shoe size it seems you have forgotten to inform us! And your jacket should arrive by tomorrow morning i'll deliver to you once i have it. Though that isn't critical seeing how warm these past few days have been." 

"Mine if thirty nine, sorry that i forgot to list it."

"It's no problem we keep a stash just in case,

shoes get damaged quite easily am i right?" He nods faintly, though he didn't need to for the lady clearly would talk even if he stood there stone cold anyways. "Alright so we can do that in a bit, but for the final touches, your hair needs to be parted at the middle or slightly by the side. You look too childish with your fringe down, it isn't a good look."

"Right."

"I can give you gel for now if you need, you can give Yoona your shopping list anytime and she'll fetch whatever you need as soon as she can though. I recommend using a dash of makeup too, not too much just a natural look like mine!" She bats her eyelashes and moves closer to show Renjun the slight, almost unnoticeable, traces of makeup on her skin. The boy had never tried on any sort of face paint apart from the ceremonial ones which he had learnt as a kid to do. "Everything else seems to be in perfect order."

As they walk out of the room to get the boy some shoes, the woman explains every meticulous detail of their schedule. Everything sounded fine, boring but fine, apart from the whole having to be awake at seven thirty to begin the day's work. That was the one detail Renjun knew he would never grow to like, he already missed his lazy schedule and work hadn't even properly begun. 

"Perfect!" Jia exclaims when the boy finally puts on the correct shoes which seemingly fit just right. "Now, for dinner time you won't be actually working but you are still to be present to observe how things work around here. You're inexperienced if remember correctly?" 

"Yes, never done anything like this before in my life."

"Right, so pay close attention and pray you're a quick learner. I'll come by your room at around seven forty five, until then you're free to do as you please!" 

Sleep. Renjun's brain yells, and who was he to say no to such an alluring suggestion? 

A gentle knock wakes up from his dream. The boy had always had light sleep even as a toddler, a curse that sadly could not be cured. He stares up at the white ceiling and blinks a few times before quickly getting up to check how he looked in the mirror. "Could you perhaps wait five minutes?" Renjun asks loud enough to make sure Jia could hear him. 

"That's quite alright but if you need any help do call!" 

As alluring as the suggestion of having everything done for him was, Renjun knew that he'd soon have to learn to prep himself up on his own so he refuses to ask for help. Thankfully it ended up not being needed — though his hair looked slightly too oily due to the unregulated amount of hair gel he had put on. 

He steps outside into the seemingly deserted hall and wonders if Jia had gotten tired of waiting, Renjun knew he had lost track of time while trying to get his hair to look perfect so he wouldn't find it unreasonable for her to have simply lost her patience. 

"You applied too much hair gel." A voice sound nearby and, when the boy turns around, he finds the woman smiling gently at him. "But that's fine you'll get the hang of it."

"Hope it isn't so bad."

"Not laughable kind of bad, so you'll be alright. But we have to hurry since we're already late."

Renjun's face falls and he bows. "I'm sorry i was trying to do it on my own."

Jia pats his shoulder reassuringly and grins. "It's fine, it's your first day. They're benevolent."

To say Renjun was relieved was an understatement. From the day he sent his application in one of the things that worried him most was the treatment he'd receive. He had seen people in town with their servants acting anything but pleasantly towards them, and he too had felt the belittling stares from the richer whenever he'd pass by the wealthier areas on his way home. It wasn't a great feeling at all, it always managed to make him feel small. Any reassurance that the Sonrisas were kinder made his heart sing with joy. 

They walk through the same halls as before, this time however Renjun felt far too nervous to admire the beauty of it all. He had never seen the family before, the only thing he knew came from rumours and the little information that came with the candidature papers. The boy bites down on his lip to try and take some of his nervousness on something but, as soon as a familiar metallic taste fills his mouth, he stops. One of the things asked of him were a immaculate figure, it had been in the recruitment forms in bold font as if that alone was far more important than his ability to actually be a good servant. To have a bleeding lip would instantly make him look bad in front of the family and may even lead to him getting fired, simple things such as those would simply not go unnoticed. 

When Renjun snaps out of thoughts he finds himself inside a kitchen surrounded by many men and women running around frantically. Jia pulls him closer and drags them both across the cramped room till they find themselves inside an empty living room. He looks at the woman with a confused look on his face to which she replies with a warm smile. "We must set the table they'll be here in a bit." 

He nods and follows behind her trying to figure out how to do things. It was impossible to be of any help with such little knowledge of how everything worked but Renjun tried his best so to not feel like a leach — though Jia assured him that nobody expected him to actually work a thousand times before. 

"Usually they ask us to leave while they eat, we go to the room next to this so that if they need anything they simply need to raise their voice and we will hear." The woman explains while pointing at a door just a few meters away. "Just watch what i do and refrain from actually doing anything for now, okay?" 

Renjun nods, but he feels awfully guilty thinking about not actually helping with anything when Jia had been so kind to him ever since he had arrived. Still, it was best to follow orders instead of risking getting her angry for no good reason, so the boy straightens his back and keeps his head up high waiting for the family to arrive.

His heart begins hammering so loudly he wondered if Jia could hear at the sound of footsteps and chatter in the nearby. The boy swallows down thickly and keeps his eyes trained on the large painting hung on the wall ahead. He loses himself in the little details but that doesn't last for very long for, when a loud and authoritarian voice greets them, Renjun can no longer focus on the painting. Instead all he can't think of is his appearance, did he look polite enough? Was he pretty enough? Clearly he must've been as he had been accepted, however pictures sometimes lied so Renjun couldn't help but worry that they'd be disappointed. 

"Good evening." Jia greets back with a bow which Renjun quickly mimics. "Should i tell Taeyong that you're all here?" 

"Yes please." The woman responds and Jia moves towards the kitchen. 

Renjun begins following behind before he's interrupted. "Are you the new boy?" 

He stops in his track, turns towards the direction of where the voice had come from and then nods weakly. "Yes, Sir."

"Nice to meet you, Renjun? Am i correct?" The man smiles gently, it instantly makes Renjun's body relax as he senses nothing but warmness oozing off him. 

"Yes, Sir. I'm Renjun, it's a pleasure." He bows and showcases his best polite smile. His eyes remain trained on the man, Renjun was too much of a coward to look at anyone else though he knew if he felt at ease with the parents then nothing else should make him nervous. 

"This is my lovely wife and my perfect sons." He extends his arm to point at the rest of the family and, therefore, forcing Renjun to do the one thing he was trying so hard to avoid. 

Truth be told, he had heard many rumours about the family. Especially, if not all, about the two twins. There seemed to be no living soul that found them unattractive, everyone spoke of them as if they were the Gods themselves — though that statement also came from the fact that twins were such a rarity, people couldn't help but think of them as special creatures. To be referred as Godlike was one of the highest praises, it should always be used wisely for, if it ended up offending any of the Gods, everyone involved could get into deep trouble. 

Renjun closes his eyes for a split second and breathes in sharply before turning his head to his left. His gaze instantly locks with a pair of intense dark eyes, it takes all his might to not allow himself to make a noise of any sort — or just simply show any emotion in any way. 

He presses his lips tightly together into a thin line and flexes his jaw, it was stupid to feel that affected over someone's beauty especially when it should've been expected, but Renjun could still feel his body heat up the longer he looked. He wondered if it'd be impolite to break the eye contact first, but for the sake of not turning into a total tomato in front of everyone, Renjun drifts his gaze away. Except that doesn't help as he's greeted with a very similar looking boy, the only apparent difference was in the colour of his hair which appeared to be blonde. 

Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. This is fine. 

Except not really since apparently the boy found his quietness extremely amusing and decided to smirk smugly which only seemed to throw more wood into the internal fire burning in his chest. 

"Nice to meet you." Renjun finally forces out and bows down once again. "I'll try my best." 

"We are sure you will." The woman says gently but before he could even answer, the sound of the door opening interrupts the conversation much to Renjun's luck and he gets to disappear behind the locomotion of servants placing the dishes on the table. 

Jia steals the boy a quick look before moving to his side, she doesn't speak, they wait in silence as the servants do their job and then move back into the kitchen leaving the room quiet once more. "Would you prefer privacy?" The woman asks as she moves her feet slightly towards the door expecting to be told to leave. 

"Not today, Jia, thank you." A softer, yet still very much authoritarian voice sounds. Curiosity spikes inside of Renjun's chest, he knew it didn't come from the man who had greeted him, so the only option was one of the twins. He wondered if they sounded alike at all, but above all he wondered which one had asked for them to stay. Still, out of politeness, he remains with his head low staring at the floor. 

Renjun wished he had been let off, his back hurt from how straight he had to keep it at all times and the pressure on top of his chest would not leave no matter how much he tried to tell himself he was doing well. To be sent home so early would not only be shameful but would also mean he wouldn't get any sort of pay, he would need to be extra careful especially during his first month. 

The boy glues his eyes to the marble floor, analyses every little pattern of the pretty colours swimming in the white tiles. The urge to grab his art utensils and paint was almost unbearable, Renjun promised himself to at least sketch something when he got back to his room though frankly he would probably black out the second he lay on his bed form how exhausted he felt both mentally and physically. 

"So Renjun." The man's voice snaps him out of his thoughts. He raises his head and nods at his new boss who smiles softly back at him. "I hope you're liking it so far. We try our best to treat our workers the best we possibly can so i hope this becomes an enjoyable experience."

"Thank you, Sir, i have been treated with nothing but kindness, Jia had been a massive helper she's very patient." He says honestly, though he wasn't sure just how enjoyable working as a servant could possibly be, he certainly didn't come there to have a good time. There was no way in hell he'd tell that to his boss, however. "I'm sure i'll enjoy it here."

A snort comes from the side, before Renjun could force himself to not look, his eyes are already locked with the blonde's. He presses his lips tightly together as anxiety bubbles in his stomach from how cocky the boy looked. "Who has fun being a servant?" 

"Jiho be quiet for once." The man reprimands with a scowl but the boy didn't seem to care less about it, instead he leans back on his chair in a relaxed manner and grins at Renjun. 

"But i sure will surely enjoy seeing you around during your service."

"Jiho." He repeats, anger clear in his glare and frigid tone of voice. The boy however doesn't even flinch and instead winks at Renjun who looks back at him wide eyed in pure shock at the scene unfolding in front of him. "That's quite enough."

"Pretending we haven't hired them all for their beauty, are we now?" 

Renjun swallows down thickly, he feels his Adam Apple bob up and down painfully and grimaces. There was nothing he could respond to, he could barely even react to it all. That was his job after all. Of course there were limits, unlike his parents thought of him, he wasn't dumb, the boy had read the contract two times over before agreeing to it and it said that unwanted physical contact was strictly forbidden. The fact that he would get protection against any unwanted advances was the only thing holding himself together, he didn't feel scared of the boy though, but he knew he'd be a pain in his ass and he already dreaded it.

"Jia and Renjun, you're dismissed." The man declares with a clearly forced stern voice. 

They both bow before heading towards the door. The second he hears the door click closed Renjun can't help but let out a loud sigh. Jia pats his shoulder and shoots him a sympathetic look, she didn't need to say it but the boy knew. He knew this wasn't a first, he knew he'd simply need to adjust to the blonde's mischievous personality.

He wasn't looking forward to it. 


	2. mercury

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> something i wanna clear out is that the bending IS NOT like avatar, just the elements i guess? basically i mixed astrology and avatar. but so everyone understands:
> 
> \- renjun can bend fire, water and earth but NOT air (and his speciality is water)
> 
> \- jeno bend earth, fire but NOT water and air (and his speciality is fire)

**T** he loud bell rings. On and on for what felt like an eternity until Renjun finally cracks one eye open to face the world. 

It should've come as a surprise to find himself staring right into his best friend's face, but after a few dozens of visits from Mercury, Renjun didn't get tricked as easily. It only took a quick look at the boy's clothes to realise it wasn't the Jaemin since he would never walk about with a simple silk cloth covering his body — no matter how shameless he was. 

Renjun still remembered vividly when he had told Jaemin the news that his Mercury had started materialising as him, previous to that he had never actually gotten to see the God, the only contact he had ever gotten was through signals and writing on papers. Needless to say Jaemin was exhilarated, not to mention flattered, but for Renjun it had been a pain in his ass at first. The Gods showed up when they pleased, no matter the circumstances, so it had taken him some time getting used to suddenly being greeted with his 'best friend' when he least expected it. 

"Good morning." Mercury greets with a blinding smile. "Heard you needed moral support."

"Really? I thought i was doing well." The boy sighs and he swings his legs out of the bed. "Guess not."

The God comes closer, moving as if he was floating on air from how smooth his movements appeared to be. "It's normal to be uneasy, should i make you company until your duties begin?" 

Renjun heads to the wardrobe where he had neatly placed the series on uniforms that Jia had handed to him. He grabs the one from yesterday hoping that the stench from when he had been inside the kitchen (even for just mere minutes) had not clung onto the soft fabric. "I think that'd actually make me feel better thanks."

"My pleasure." 

Another odd thing about the materialisation of the Gods that had taken him a while to get used to was how adamant they'd be to remain by your side in the most private moments. Mind you, the first time his Moon had greeted him had happened to be when he had been peacefully minding his own business in the toilet taking care of his humanly needs. Arguably not the best time to come face to face with four year old Renjun, not that Gods cared for such things. 

He was nineteen now, undressing in front of their presence had become natural. Materialised or not, they weren't human, and they were there to help him nothing more. There were rumours of course, of where those cases went terribly wrong — he was sure now that none of them were real. In fact it had been those that had terrified him of having that kind of intimacy with any God, but it had been over a decade since he had started getting visions, it was more than clear that if something were to have happened, it would've already. 

"I like the uniform actually." The God appears right in front of him to get a better look and then grins. "I prefer the yellow though, it suits you more, but this one is nice too!" 

"I like the material as well, the colour isn't ugly either and look at the little embroidered mandarin flowers on the sleeves. So cute, isn't it?" 

"It really is." Mercury looks right into the boy's eyes and places their hand on his shoulder. As usual, Renjun doesn't feel the physical contact. "You chose the household wisely, i know it is a good one. And i don't mean just the clothing or house. They're good people."

Renjun snorts taking the God by surprise. "Sorry, i don't mean to be disrespectful." He bows slightly and then pinches the bridge of his nose. "It's just that at least one of the twins looks problematic so that statement sounded funny to me."

"Trust me."

The boy adjusts his clothes one last time and checks if everything is in order before looking at them with a toothless smile. "I do."

"Don't think i've seen you as shy as you were yesterday." Mercury teases as they walk along the perfectly decorated halls. Renjun still couldn't believe that everything his eyes landed on was real, rather it looked like something that could've come out of his dreams. 

"You really need to stop watching over me for fun, my life is not a telenovela."

"Oh but c'mon seeing you so bothered over boys was a sight i refused to miss." Their voice, Jaemin's voice, came out in the familiar annoying tone that his friend always used for teasing. Sort of how parents speak to their infants, except Renjun despised being babied and both Mercury and Jaemin knew that all too well, and yet, he still had to bare with their annoying antics. 

"Of course i'm was nervous." He huffs. "But… Did it show? Could they tell?" 

"A bit. Not much though, you did well, they're aware new servants are always nervous but if you're asking of your inner turmoil showed then the answer is no." Mercury reassures him then begins giggling. "Venus was having a blast though, they think something might sparkle in here and we all know how dry your make their work be."

"Never thought a God would be annoyed that i don't trouble them." Renjun snorts and looks all around to check if anyone was around. To that day it still felt odd to speak to Gods outside of his room or house where others could see, he knew they too got visions but that didn't make him look less crazy. Thankfully nobody seemed to be nearby. 

"How many times have you even Venus?" 

The boy recalls about five times where he had been greeted by the presence of the God. First time had been a shock. Days before his first vision, Renjun had been persuaded by Jaemin into going to the public sauna, he hadn't expected much to come from it as most clientele was known to be seniors with too much time in their hands. However, just hours after he had first step foot there, Renjun finds himself trailing after a man, but not just any man, an almost God-like creature that felt he had been staring at Venus themself. Fast-forward a few days and, there is the man again, except this time he's sitting in his kitchen's counter wearing beautiful red silk instead. 

Venus rarely visited however, which was a shame considering Renjun quite enjoyed staring at their face. So much so that often times he'd get lost admiring the view which would end up with the God scowling him for being so superficial. Renjun wasn't superficial, some things were just made to be thoroughly admired. 

The second time they had showed up had been when the boy's heart accelerated after an arsen from his class had come dangerously close to his face. From the corner of his eye Renjun had noticed the presence of someone new and, after awkwardly chuckling his way out of the situation, glared at Venus as if it was their fault. "I'm just here to help." They had said sternly but fifteen year old Renjun had been too flustered and embarrassed to pay any mind. 

The third had been the most awkward, nobody enjoys waking up to a pool of wetness in their sheets. And certainly nobody enjoys having a God snort at them for it. "First time? Bit overdue." To which he had not replied, and even though that had been massively disrespectful, Venus had never gotten angry at him for it. He supposed the Gods knew his constipation towards anything love related, they actually found it quite entertaining much to his dismay. 

The fourth had probably been the least wanted visit. Renjun's adoration for art was a known fact to everyone, he'd often spend full days working on a new art piece and ignoring the world. That had been one of those days, he had been so engrossed in his painting that he didn't notice his best friend enter his room and the next thing he knows he's letting out the most high-pitched squeak he's ever heard in his life when Jaemin grabs his shoulders to spook him. "Asshole!" The boy had screamed and proceeded to draw a blue line across his friend's cheek as revenge. It wasn't unusual for Jaemin to simply lay nearby as the other worked, but it seemed he had other plans for that day. "Paint me." He had asked with sparkling eyes, and Renjun didn't have it in his heart to say no. 

He had been stroking his brush against the canvas, carefully painting the lines of Jaemin's neck on it, when he feels a new presence behind him. Renjun turns around quickly and his eyes bulge out when he sees them staring back with the happiest grin. "No…" He whispers and Venus' face falls immediately. "Go away. Please." The kind God nods and evaporates into thin air at that leaving the boy alone with a sleeping Jaemin sprawled prettily on his bed and the loud voices shouting in his brain. 

Thankfully, despite how lightheaded with worry he had felt after the visit, the painting had still come out beautifully, or so Jaemin had reassured him it had. 

The fifth had come at one of the temples, this time around Renjun had actually invoked for their presence for wanted help. After the unexpected last visit, the boy had left confused of his emotions and what exactly to do. He didn't want to see his best friend like that it'd be one of the worst things that could happen to him. At first Venus couldn't understand his distress, to them being attracted to someone who you get along with so well was nothing but a miracle. Often lust ended up bringing more sadness than happiness as people lay with those whom they did not actually get to know beforehand. Since that was not the case, the God had been disappointed that instead of happiness, Renjun felt nothing but remorse. After a few hours of the boy venting and several discussions between man and God, both finally came to the conclusion that the boy had to give himself some time away from everything. 

That had been a month or so ago, Jaemin had been one of the reasons added onto his mental list of things that pushed him to get a job as a servant away from his regular life. Renjun had barely gotten to see each other the last few weeks due to the other boy's busy job as a delivery man anyways, so gradually those emotions had faded. He had been sad, of course he had. Jaemin was his best friend they had known each other since they were children, but Renjun knew it was for the best. He already felt much better, as he looks to the side to the vision of Mercury, he feels nothing. Jaemin is handsome, no doubt about that, Jaemin made his heart ache slightly and his lungs feel compressed inside his ribcage. But at last, the overwhelming longing had dissipated. 

"Look i don't see the big deal about me not thinking about it much."

"There isn't, though my telenovela surely would become spicier if you decided to finally give someone a shot." 

"And you still have the nerve to preach to us to not be egotistical."

Mercury smirks smugly at him. "Men will be Men, Gods will be Gods. They can never act like one another." 

"Good morning." Renjun greets as Mr. Sonrina walks inside the living room. The man smiles kindly and sits down quietly without giving the boy any sort of orders. "Would you like anything?" 

"Well, breakfast." He answers as deadpan as one could get. 

"Right, right away." Is all he says before hurriedly walking towards the kitchen. The second the doors close behind him, a loud frustrated grunt escapes his lips grabbing the attention of a few of the other servants who shoot him confused looks. He shakes his head and forces a smile onto his lips. "Breakfast. What do i do? Jia hasn't come to guide me."

"Jia often works more with the Miss so she might still be helping her get ready." One the men explains and then puts his hand on Renjun's back to guide him around the busy room. "We are almost done cooking the entire breakfast so just relax for five minutes and then we'll get it sorted."

"Should i stay here or go back out."

The man shrugs. "Up to you really."

Renjun nods and remains by the side pondering if he could at least take a shower right after breakfast was over because five minutes inside the kitchen would surely make him reek everywhere. Even if the food was delicious, he was supposed to smell fresh at all times, it was required of him. 

Not knowing how things worked was stressful, he knew that after a week or so he'd finally get the hang of it but until then he was highly prone to making some sort of mistake. He just hoped Mercury was right and that the family wouldn't sack him as soon as he messed something up. 

Soon enough the servants begin bringing the variety of little plates outside. Renjun grabs whatever he could get his hands on to provide some sort of help and too heads towards the living room. The whole family had already gathered there, the woman greets him with a smile as he carefully places her cup in front of her. 

He scurries next to Jia and moves slightly closer than usual to whisper to her. "Can i shower after?"

"Course." She nods and then giggles under her breath. "Food smell is a bitch, uh?" 

Renjun looks up at her wide eyed at the sudden cussing and then smiles widely. "Indeed."

Breakfast goes by smoothly, apart from perhaps the annoyingly stares the blonde would constantly shoot in his direction. Renjun was more than sure he was only invested in bothering him to see if he would burst, the look in his eyes didn't say I'm enticed by you rather it resembled one of a child who had been denied their favourite toy hence making them want it even more. Clearly his 'flirting' was nothing more than a rebellious act towards his parents, that was probably what pissed Renjun the most. He was there to gain money not act as a piece of that boy's game. 

Plus, he really disliked being stared at. He couldn't stand the constant feeling of having a pair of eyes glued on him like that. 

His pain eventually comes to an end as the family, one by one, begins leaving for their daily activities. When they're all gone, Renjun lets out yet another loud grunt and finally allows himself to deflate. "You good?" 

Renjun raises his head and nods at Jia who seemed to be genuinely worried. "Just that damn blonde dude-" 

"Jiho, yeah, he's like that."

"Why? I just got here why is he playing little games already?! So annoying."

She laughs while holding the door open for him. "He's always been like that, always wanting to go against the rules in whatever way he could. As soon as he realises nobody cares about what he's up to, then he'll stop."

"Hope you're right, i don't know if i can last at least a month without snapping at him."

"Oh you're underestimating Jiho's ability to get under your skin." She smirks and pats his shoulder. "I give it a week."

The shower area was surprisingly quite far away from the servants' dormitory. Jia leads him towards a hallway with glass walls that allowed the boy to observe the gardens outside, there too was a little river flowing nearby that reflected the clear blue sky above and shimmered under the sunrays. Breathtaking. 

"Here we are." She announces and stops below a sign that read Balneae in big bold letters. "Alright so you leave your stuff inside the basket with your name and then head into the shower."

"Are there private showers?" 

Jia snorts and gestures for the boy to follow behind him. "Course!" 

The showering room was massive, it extended so far ahead that Renjun could not make up what the drawings on the wall were from just how far away they were from where he stood at the entrance. "Woah." He lets out while looking around. 

Each shower head was separated by two tall 'walls', there must've been at least thirty private showers inside the room. Jia opens the curtain to show off the beautifully embedded shower, the blue and white tiles together formed antique-style drawings of mythical creatures and events that he had been taught as a child. Renjun observes as the woman turns the handle and water begins pouring out of the mouth of the fish statue above them, suddenly his metal shower head seemed awfully ordinary and unappealing. 

"They really outdid themselves with this house." Renjun mumbles to himself as they head back inside the changing room that still, thankfully, remained empty. 

"Trust me, some houses are even more extravagant." 

"Do rich people just have nothing better to spend their money on?!" 

Jia barks out a loud laugh and then comes closer to the boy to ruffle his dark locks. "Pretty much."

The refreshing sensation of coming right out of the bath and putting on a new, clean set of clothes feels like heaven to the boy. He curses the rules under his breath for making him gel his hair for the substance always made him feel oily and dirty, though he couldn't deny that he too preferred to have his hair styled. Having his hair down took at least four years out of his actual age making him look like he was still a teen, a very young one at that. 

He finishes the last touches and then grabs the little map Jia had given him so he could know his way around the massive property. The boy recalled being told to do his duty at the Kipous, but where exactly that was located would be up to him to figure out. Renjun grabs his things and begins walking back from where he had come with the woman, he peaks out from the glass walls and finds nobody to be around to help so he keeps on going hoping to be smart enough to follow the poorly drawn map in his hands. 

Back at the main entrance, Renjun miraculously finds another servant that tries their best to explain how to get to his destination. Still the boy feels nervous as he walks around the gardens trying to remember the directions and using the limited information of the scribbles Jia had done. 

Eventually he finds it, or so he thinks. He knew he had been assigned to take care of trimming the bushes that served as fencing, and ahead of him was an extension of bushes that stretched quite far. Renjun could only hope he was right otherwise he would've spent his time on the wrong place and have to work twice as hard the next day to make up for it. 

The boy grabs his tools and curls up his sleeves to make the work easier. Sweat soon begins forming on his nape as the sun hits straight down on him, he knew it'd leave a stupid tan which he certainly didn't look forward to. Sadly, working in swimming attire was not considered as professional, otherwise he might've considered the possibility. 

He wipes his sweat off the best he could and continues trimming. Click. Click. Click. His fingers begin aching, turning numb after the constant abuse of pressing down on the tool. Still Renjun knows he can't stop, or he shouldn't. He found it ironic, however, that the Sonrisas demanded beauty and not competence, he wasn't built for such work and yet, just for the appearances, they had hired him anyways. Obviously, he was more than grateful, but that didn't mean his body was nearly as happy about it. 

The ground shakes beneath his feet, however Renjun knows it's not an earthquake. It was too short-lived, not very strong either. He quirks his eyebrows and looks around but finds himself to be alone so he resumes his task. Click. Click. Click.

"You fucking idiot!" Someone shouts nearby startling the boy so badly he squeaks like a dog's toy. He looks back, hesitant of perhaps being told off for not doing his work right, but finds he's still alone. "Maybe if you stopped getting dad angry we wouldn't be constantly treated like shit!" 

Renjun frowns and finds that, while peaking through the cracks of the bushes, he could get a bad — but good enough — view of the twins. Jiho stood in front of his brother with a laid back posture, hand on his hip and eyebrows raised in slight defiance. The other however, which he recalled to be Jeno, had his eyebrows knitted in both anger and frustration, his face was red as if it could explode at any gentle touch, and he had his arms crossed above his chest. 

"Have some fun! And then you have the nerve get hurt when people call you no fun. What's father going to do?" Jiho snorts and moves closer with a smug look on his face. "Or do you perhaps miss the affection that he no longer gives?" 

"Shut up just because you don't care to have a good relationship with your parents doesn't mean i have to suffer the consequences."

"Then maybe instead of getting angry at me you should get angry at them for constantly treating us as a package, no?" 

Jeno remains still silent. His chest rose and fell calmly, but soon enough it became more than clear that the boy was anything but calm. He raises his arm up, as just as he does so, the earth below too rises. Just with a twirl of his hand, the earth clings to Jiho and compacts around his body making him look like a he was merely a vegetable ready to be plucked. 

Renjun watches the scene astonished, and slightly scared, at just how bad the brotherly relationship between the two were. He didn't have a brother nor a sister, the closest he'd ever gotten to that would be Jaemin, but from all the times he had contemplated the idea he could not imagine himself hated a sibling like that. 

Then again, what did he know about any of that. He could not judge. 

"And you say i'm fiery." Jiho chuckles, seemingly unbothered that he had been burried. "Should probably work on those anger issues."

"I don't have anger issues, i deal with your shit everyday i'm bound to snap more often than i ought to."

And with that, he turns his back on the other. "Wait, come back here!" Jiho screams, breaking his laid back facade when he, Renjun assumed, could not earth bend his way out. Jeno does not return however and eventually the boy gives up on shouting. "I'm going to roast him like a chicken later."

Renjun stands frozen in his spot behind the fence not knowing what exactly he was supposed to do. Should he help? He could earth bend, but that'd give away he had been watching. Would he be punished for prying? But how could he not when they yelled that loud just meters away? 

Being a rookie to the new workplace was worse than he had ever expected it to be. He couldn't play around the rules, he didn't even know them. 

"IS ANYBODY THERE FOR FUCK SAKE." Jiho screams out of the blue making Renjun shake with fear — which was idiotic considering the boy didn't know of his presence and was currently the one stuck, unable to move. "I hate this damn house." 

Renjun flattens his hand, palms pointing in the general direction of the boy and then slowly lowers them. The sound of rumbling tells him it's working, and when he peaks through the holes again, he finds Jiho brushing any remains of dirt in his clothes — which were now a shade darker.

The boy looks around to see who had freed him but he finds no one around. Still, curious as he is, he roams around trying to find the source. All the while Renjun tries his best to not make any noise that'd give away he was right there. He begs the Gods to not be found for the headache of dealing with the blonde would be far too much and all he wished for was to get on with his work in peace. 

He hears footsteps nearby. His heart hammers in his chest as if a killer would be approaching and then, much to his surprise, the boy he sees is not blonde, rather his black locks swing from side to side as he tilts his head in confusion. 

Jeno stares down at him from where he sat on the grass hiding from Jiho whom he could still hear somewhere in the field behind. Renjun swallow down harshly hoping the other wouldn't speak and points at the bush to try and explain who he was hiding from. 

"Oh." Jeno whispers softly and then a smile spreads across his face. He looks up and breathes in sharply through his nose before speaking. "Are you still there?!" 

"Jeno?!" Jiho squeaks and then begins laughing almost manically. "So it was you that set me free uh? Soft hearted as your are, i can't say i didn't expect it."

The brunette rolls his eyes. "Whatever, Mr. Seo is waiting for you. You're late for practice."

"Oh i wonder why." Jiho says sarcastically which only makes Jeno roll his eyes again, more dramatically this time. "Stop using the one element i can't master against me you fucking ass."

"When you stop using water with me then i might consider. Now shut up and go before he kills us both."

Renjun never looks away from the boy in front of him, he finds himself unable to. It was creepy to stare like that, he knew it was, but the rumours had sadly been factual and now he didn't know what to do with himself. Renjun appreciated beauty, he was an artist for Gods' sake, and he couldn't help but want to grab his painting utensils to put the sight onto a canvas. 

"Sorry about that." He chuckles and massages his nape before extending his arm to offer help. Renjun stares at his hand, slender bony fingers waiting patiently for a reaction. He accepts the offer, though he could very well had gotten up on his own, and bows down as a thank you. 

"No need for all that." He assures him with a gentle smile. "See you later."

"Yes, see you later." Renjun parrots stupidly and then watches as the other walks away without moving from the same spot and position. 

It was a pity he was awful at drawing without a muse to use as reference, for he truly wished he could return to his chambers that night and paint Jeno until the sun rose once more. 

The day goes by without any further striking occurrences, apart from perhaps the sudden sight of a rabbit hopping nearby, looking at the boy with what looked to be curiosity. Renjun wished to keep it, he always loved animals dearly especially small fluffy ones, but before he could even get near the rabbit had already ran off. 

So there he was, back in his room, staring out from the window into the garden with a serene expression on his face. Finally his free time had arrived, after dinner was served he got to be free just for a few hours before the bell rang again next morning reminding him that he was no longer a teenager feeding off his parent's hard work. It was his time to suffer through it now, and in a way it was rewarding as he finally felt worthy of any luxury he might potentially get for himself in the near future. 

The sun hasn't set yet. It's Summer, even after eight in the evening the horizon is still lit up with orange hues. Renjun rummages in his bag — which he had still to fully unpack — and gets out his painting utensils. He should sleep, recharge from the constant labour throughout the day, but he already missed doing what he loved most. In many ways, this need for normality, to not become just a servant but preserve his personality during his stay, was far more important than rest. 

Jaemin would've laughed, found his fears idiotic. It was merely his second night but the odd sensation of not belonging somewhere made him feel as if he wasn't truly there. A fever dream perhaps, as if he observed his actions through the eyes of an outsider. He didn't feel like himself there, not yet at least, but the familiar sensation of beginning a whole fresh project in a clean canvas gave him hope that the sensation was temporary. After all, he was still Renjun, nobody could take that away from him. 

Somewhere there is a sound. A noise of some sort. A reminder that the night isn't quite dead, a reminder to not feel lonely, far away as he was from everything he knew. From home. From Jaemin. 

The Gods hadn't warned him of anything bad coming, they seemed quite pleased with the change in fact, which only made him more hopeful that they knew something he didn't or rather something he shouldn't be told. 

He clings to that hope for dear life. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> about the gods bc ik most ppl r too lazy to read the carrd
> 
> sun- materialises as one's present self
> 
> moon- materialises as child version of one's self
> 
> mercury- materialises as the person one looks up to 
> 
> venus- materialises as one's ideal type
> 
> mars- materialises as the person one finds to be the epitome of strength


	3. nightly encounter

**D** ays begin blurring with one another. A continuous line that he barely registered. 

The cool water runs down his body refreshing him before his work day begun, Renjun loved morning baths the most especially during summer. It was the best way to start his arduous day, though the work he had been assigned for that specific weekday was one of the easiest. Watering the gardens might, at first, sound like a painfully time-consuming job but, for someone who mastered waterbending as a kid, it was _easy peasy._

There was a long river that ran through the property which made the job of getting the water the gardens needed even easier. Though there were areas, which were often clearly dryer than they should, that were a bit further from the source. Renjun assumed most servants couldn't be bothered to irrigate those bits out of laziness. He would too if the fear of being punished for it as a newbie didn't resonate so intensely in his bones. It was best to play safe, at least for the first few months. Then, perhaps, he could slack off slightly. 

The water glistens under the sun, it reflects the blue skies above making it look even more beautiful than usual. Renjun wondered if every other bender was as enticed by their elements as he was, each time he'd bend he couldn't help but notice the beauty of it. How the water hovered above the ground, how fire danced in the palm of his hand, how the wind bent trees, how the earth shook below his feet. Ever since he was a kid those things made his heart smile, it wasn't just about feeling powerful to be able to bend them all — although some he was yet to actually master —, it was bigger than that. Passion, he supposed.

The large blob of water floats all around him as he spreads it the furthest he possibly could. Then, when he turns his hands into fists, it collapses down onto the green grass disappearing within the cracks of the earth, nurturing it. He repeats the process many times but it never gets boring, it was definitely one of the least boring jobs to him. So far it had been gardening, cleaning clothes, cleaning dishes and cleaning the house — which he hoped he wouldn't have to do again anytime soon. Gardening was the best, though some parts of it such as clipping the bushes and mowing the lawn made his body ache for days after. Still, even that was better than the other house chores. 

"Morning, pretty thing." Renjun hears behind him and, by reflect, his hands turn into fists. That nickname, he hated it the most. Hated being called a _thing even_ if he knew that was probably how everyone saw him since he was a servant. Still, he couldn't help but want to smack the owner of the voice — which he already knew to be Jiho. 

He stares ahead of him and grunts when he realises he had allowed the water to drop too soon. It wasn't a disaster but still, to Renjun, it was infuriating that his careful work had been damned because of Jiho's annoying attempts to have his way. It wasn't even clear anymore what he wanted, Renjun assumed he just wished to piss him off like he did with everyone. It was like his soul fed off people's annoyance. 

Hence why Renjun always tried his best to remain calm and collected, he refused to give him the satisfaction of knowing his teasing caused any sort do reaction. "Good morning." He replies, flat toned as per usual. 

"It's a great day today isn't it? It's not really warm but the sky is clear." Jiho rambles as Renjun begins building up another blob of water. That was how their encounters usually went by, the blonde would talk and Renjun would listen, or pretend to, and only reply and needed. His polite attempts to make it known that he couldn't care less, or that he wanted to be left alone, never worked however. "Have you seen Jeno? We have practice but i can't find him anywhere."

"I haven't seen Jeno today, sorry."

Jiho stands still as if waiting for something more, but nothing ever comes. He clicks his tongue and then _finally_ turns his back to leave the other boy alone to do his job in peace. If he didn't have practice to get to, though, Renjun was more than certain he would have remained nearby just to annoy him some more. 

The chirping of the birds soon relax him. He does his job quietly, listening happily to the sound of nature that surrounded him — the sound of water running, the birds, the ruffling of the leaves when a soft gushes of cool wind sweep through the garden. 

One of the perks of working in that household was the beauty of literally _everything_ Renjun laid his eyes on, around him the gardens felt like a dream, something only his mind could've conceived. But no, it was real, very much so. He could feel the grass below — as he had taken off his shoes to not dirty them — and reach down to pet the beautiful flowers that surrounded him. 

A strange sound breaks the spell however. Renjun grumbles, annoyed that his peaceful alone time had been ruined once more. As he looks around towards the source, however, his body deflates. "Jeno!" He calls out and the boy snaps his head to the side to look at him with a puzzled expression. Hopefully his tone had been polite enough, it was still odd to call the twins by their actual names but every other servant assumed him that they found it weird to be referred to as anything else — like sir, or something of the sort like Renjun had expected. "Jiho has just passed by looking for you."

The other boy's shoulders sag down in relief and then a wide smile spreads across his face. There was this detail about the Sonrisa family that struck to him the most, their strong cold features were nothing but a facade that instantly vanished whenever they'd smile. It shouldn't have come as such a surprise considering their family name, but still, Renjun always found himself sucking in a breath at the sudden change. 

Jeno moves closer, visibly more relaxed than before, and then places his hand on Renjun's shoulder. "Has he gone to practice yet?" The servant nods then points in the direction where Jiho had disappeared into. Jeno follows with his eyes and nods but instead of sprinting away, he slams the palm of his head against his forehead and groans. "He's going to tease for being late _this one time_ , i already know it."

Renjun chuckles. He pitied Jeno for he was always so calm and patient and had a brother that was the complete opposite. In a way, they fit like puzzle pieces in that sense. But then again, it must be tiring to grow up with someone like that." Good luck."

The corners of the boy's mouth curl upwards in a soft, tight smile. "Thank you, i'll need it."

And with that he's gone, leaving Renjun alone to his devices once more. Though this time Renjun can admit that he feels slightly disappointed the conversation hadn't been prolonged even if just a bit more. 

Perhaps it was his curiosity, his attraction to mystery and the unknown, but there was something in him that wished to get to know Jeno. He was reserved for the most part, but he didn't seem to do it on purpose as an act, to act cool. Jiho too was interesting, but the way he carried himself made Renjun not wish to get past superficial levels with him. For the most part because he knew he didn't have the energy for it, because he knew Jiho would refuse to be honest as it'd make him vulnerable. He seemed like the type at least. 

_Either way_ he thinks _it's not like i could get to know either of them anyways._ He was just a servant after all, and a fairly temporary one at that. 

  
  
  


After getting the hang of things, work become way easier. The day always went by in a blink of an eye, unless Renjun had woken up in those _i-would-much-rather-lay-in-bed-and-do-nothing_ moods then he'd still, to a degree, enjoy work. And so it went by quickly, so quickly that when he finally finishes up, the boy notices the sun was close to setting behind the horizon leaving behind pretty orange hues adorning the skies. 

He bolts in the direction of the entrance where he finds his neglected pair of clean shoes that he puts on, cringing when his dirty feet touch the soft material. Had it not been for the fact that he was running slightly late for dinner preparations, Renjun would've tried cleaning them the best he could've. It felt like such a shame to dirty them like that, though he was sure that compared to the shoes the family wore, his were of much lower quality. To him however, they felt like a relic. 

Renjun sighs as he fast walks to his room to change his clothes. It wasn't often that he cared about his social status, he wasn't doing _bad_ , certainly there were people doing way worse, but living in that house for a while had opened his eyes to things he had never even considered. Shoes were shoes, if he could walk in them then they were doing their job nicely. Now he realised that a properly manufactured one felt like walking on clouds, his feet would not hurt after a day long of being in confinement anymore. It was those simple things that he never paused to think that were slowly making him realise how wealth actually mattered. He wished he could go back to oblivion again, for now the crushing reality that he could never enjoy from the same benefits he'd get as a worker in that household when his time there would come to an end. 

The new outfit hangs on the handle of the wardrobe ready to be put on. Jia had probably left it there when he had been out working. A baggy white shirt with bishop sleeves embroidered with the usual mandarin flowers and U-shaped neckline. A pair of baby blue slim fit pants had been hanged behind the shirt, they were fairly simple, no pockets, no designs. 

After tucking in his shirt and cleaning both his feet and shoes the best he could with the few time he had left, Renjun finally gets to sit down on his bed and breathe in calmly. He remains seated for a while, the regular gentle knock on his door reminds him that it is not yet time to rest and so he gets up, check himself one last time and then heads out. 

"You really suit the clothes." She grins while analysing him from head to toe. "I have a feeling Jiho will be more annoying today."

"Ah why?!" Renjun whines helplessly. 

"Because you look stunning, if you think he's not going to mention it, you're in for a surprise. Well, not anymore as i've already warned you."

"Sometimes i wish i could make myself look my worst, maybe he'd leave me alone then. But i can't."

Jia merely laughs, a sweet melody that made Renjun instantly smile as soon as it slipped through her lips. He was so happy to have been paired up with her, none of the other servants had been unpleasant, but there was something about her that made her special. Her eyes were always so kind, her heart always sympathetic of others. Genuinely lovely people like that were rare, Renjun was aware he wasn't even half as good of a person as her. He hoped to remain friends even after his departure, though that'd be a hard task considering she'd only leave when really needed. 

"Renjun-" 

The boy perks up instantly, he had noticed he had lost himself in his thoughts once more until his name had been called out so firmly. 

"You really drifted away just now, uh?" She snorts and then tugs at his sleeve. "As i was saying, you told me you could paint right?" He quirks his eyebrow up but nods nevertheless. "My brother's birthday is coming up soon and he absolutely adores flower paintings, i swear he had an addiction you should see his house. Either way, i was wondering maybe you could paint something for me? I'd pay you, promise."

A smile spreads across his entire face at the request. "Yes! I'd love to."

Before he gets to ask which flowers she'd prefer and how long he had till the painting had to be done, Yuta storms out of the kitchen nearby and shoots them daggers with his eyes. "You're late! We need help stop gossiping and MOVE."

The two of them stare at each other and then begin giggling after the sound of the kitchen's door slamming shut rings in their ears awfully loud. "Best we get going before he murders us."

And so they went. 

  
  


Thankfully the family had begin dismissing him and Jia so that they did not have to stand in silence while the rest of the family feasted. For quite a few days, Renjun had gotten the pleasure to sit down with the rest of the staff in the big room next to the main dining room and relax properly. And, it wasn't that he minded eating alone with Jia as she was a very nice company, but he too enjoyed the chatter all around him. It was a cozy environment, sort of reminded him of the time he'd eat in the canteen during his school days. 

"So, you liking it here?" A boy, who he faintly remembered the name of, asks with a soft smile on his face. 

"I do! Everyone is way kinder than i expected them to be." Renjun grins brightly to show he was being utmost honest. 

Just before the boy could answer, a loud shattering sound comes from the room next to theirs. Everyone stops talking instantly and turns to the blurry, yellow glass wall separating them trying to find out through the silhouettes moving about what exactly was going on. The voices are practically inaudible, muffled by the glass which had purposely been chosen to not let much noise pass through. 

Renjun looks at Jia trying to ask her silently, using only his eyes, if she knew what might be going on. She shrugs then shakes her head, nobody knew anything, they awaited in silence for any loud noise.

"You are a disgrace, you hear me?!" A loud, angry voice manages to pass through the thick glass and then comes a loud door slam just seconds after. 

Everything falls silent. Renjun felt as if even the act of swallowing his own saliva would potentially be heard by everyone around him. A silhouette stands up and another follows leaving just one of the family members completely alone. 

Eventually the servants begin to relax again and the chatter gradually goes back to normal. Renjun, already quiet as he was around a bunch of strangers, becomes even more silent. His mind was exploding with possibilities of what they had just 'witnessed', he couldn't focus in anything else. 

  
  
  


The room had already become pitch-black. No noise could be heard apart from the faint flowing of the river in the distance. 

Renjun lays in bed, bed sheets pushed by the side, limbs sprawled apart like a starfish, eyes staring up at nothingness as sleep refuses to take hold of him. He grunts, sits up and tugs at his own hair in frustration. Sleeping was essential for his job, if he didn't have enough energy to get through the day then he wouldn't be able to do anything properly. 

His mind was still, unfortunately, very much awaken though and no matter how much he tried to shut down the thoughts running through his head. He didn't know why he was so hyper fixated on the events from that evening, but somehow it wouldn't leave his mind. 

The boy swings his legs to the side and gets up. He hoped a short walk would tire him, he was desperate enough to try anything. Without bothering to check his appearance, Renjun turns the handle and walks right out into the empty hallway dimly lit by candles placed up in the wall. The shadows creep him out, especially whenever they'd danced as he'd pass by and shake the fire illuminating his surroundings. 

He walks, on and on without a purpose, without q destination, and eventually finds himself nearby the kitchen. Suddenly, as if a light bulb had lit in his brain, Renjun opens the door and begins scavenging for a midnight snack to munch on. A full stomach always managed to make him sleepy, it was the perfect plan. 

Just as the boy opens his mouth to take a bite of the leftover bread, the door suddenly opens. The piece of brain smacks against the floor awfully loud, Renjun grimaces before quickly picking it up. "Oh. This is a surprise." The newcomer says, a teasing tone to his voice as he does so. "Can't sleep either?" 

Renjun's eyes nearby pop out of their eyesockets from the shock of seeing Jeno leaning against the doorframe with a tiny smile. The shadows on his face, lit under the little fire hovering just above the palm of his hand, danced excitedly making him look like a painting in motion. 

He comes closer, slowly as if he relishes each step he takes, and then his eyes drift to the load of bread from where Renjun had already cut a few pieces to feast on. "Can i?" 

"Of course, here u already cut since you don't need to worry!" Renjun fumbles about trying to find the best and thickest piece before handing it to the boy. 

"I do know how to cut bread."

Renjun's eyes widen once more and he gapes trying to find a polite answer. The reaction seems to amuse Jeno who smirks before taking a big bite. "I didn't mean to offend you, but there was no point in doing the extra work when i had done it already."

"I know." He smiles brightly showcasing his perfectly aligned teeth. "I was messing with you, sorry. I suppose that's Jiho's job not mine." When Renjun lets out an exaggerated groan at the mention of the boy, Jeno barks out a laugh and quirks his eyebrow up adding onto his already smug look. "You can't stand him, uh?" 

_Yes._ He wants to say but that'd be highly disrespectful, not to mention Jeno could use it against him if he wished to later on and get him into deep trouble. It'd be his word against Renjun's, of course he'd get his way. "He's a challenge, is all." 

"Right."

Renjun looks straight into the boy's face, admiring the natural beauty clean of any products that'd mask the little imperfections. He notices something that he was sure hadn't been there before, probably hidden by layers of makeup. Jeno's right eyebrow had a little slit nearby the end that split it in two, he could've sworn he had never seen it before. 

"Something on my face?" Jeno chuckles before finishing his piece of bread. 

"I'm so sorry." He bows to apologise for having stared so shamelessly for so long. "I just realised. your eyebrow…" 

The boy touches it delicately and then smiles. "Right, Jiho gets angry often. He's a bit explosive, one day he flipped and the fire managed to get close enough to burn a bit of my face." He explain calmly. "Hair doesn't grow back, you probably know that. Jiho says it's a cool scar but my parents think otherwise so."

"It looks badass." Renjun blurts out and then squeaks when he realises he had said that out loud. 

"You think?" Jeno grins, his eyes become little crescents as he dies so. The other boy nods hesitantly then diverts his eyes away to look at the loaf of bread. "You have any scar?" 

"No." Renjun watches as Jeno's hand shows up in his camo of vision to grab yet another slice and follows his movements without realising he had been doing so. "I don't fight, and i practice alone."

"That's a pity." Jeno mumbles. 

Renjun finds himself yet again trailing the details of Jeno's face, he couldn't help it. Jeno looked like a perfectly carved statue with his strong face structure, but what stood out the most was his nose. The boy's nose, however big it may be, completed his face with a final perfect touch. Usually noses such as those, so prone to bringing unwanted attention or ruining the overall aesthetic, were frowned upon. Renjun finds it to be almost _cute_ but not exactly in the same way babies' noses are cute. It looked _boopable_ , Renjun wishes to poke it though he knows he cannot. 

He observes every slope, every cut, every imperfection that reminded him that Jeno was no God, no vision of Venus perhaps. Jeno was human just as he was. Staring like that was, more likely than not, considered to be highly disrespectful and tactless but analysing is what Renjun _does_. He memories every little trait that stands out, that makes that person not be ordinary. He paints people in the canvas of his brain, hangs them up on the walls for future observations. 

Jeno clears his throat. Renjun feels his soul leave his body as realisation hits, he had been staring _once again_. He wishes nothing more but to jump right into a hole and never leave ever again. 

"I'll be heading back to my room now. Feeling sleepier." The boy announces and then places his hand on Renjun's shoulder. "You should try to sleep too, you'll have a long day ahead."

"Yes." He replies quickly. "I will try, hope you sleep well."

Jeno opens the door and then turns around for a few seconds just to shoot the boy one last smile. 

When the door clicks closed, Renjun bends over the table and lets his forehead touch the cool surface while he calms down from how embarrassed he felt. "You idiot. How embarrassing." The boy cries out and then stomps on the floor childishly, throwing a tantrum as if he was a child once more. 

Instead of making him more sleepy, the little walk had only made his brain have more to dwell on after the unexpected encounter. Renjun knew for certain that he wouldn't manage to sleep that night. He'd be lucky if he slept more than two hours even. 

Sulky and defeated, the boy cleans up the place the best he could and head back to his room knowing full well he'd spend the next few hours rolling in bed whining to himself about how stupid he was. 

What a fun night it'd be. 

  



	4. power

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hewoo if i take ages to reply to comments its because im on vacation and im constantly busy, also if next update takes longer thats also the reason!! <333

**T** he sky was cloudy for the first time in about a month. Rain could pour at any second but that didn't matter, rain never bothered Renjun, not when he had dominated the skill of water bending just a year after he had been born into the world. 

Jia had described him the way to the training hall but the boy still felt uncertain that he was doing it right. There were still many places left to see, the property was massive like that. Renjun could only wish that he'd see it all before he left. 

"Must be this." He mumbles to himself as he stands outside of a building he had never seen before.

Renjun twists the handle and opens the door hesitantly, according to the directions he shouldn't have ended up somewhere else entirely, but still the boy couldn't help but feel nervous. There was always the chance that he was getting himself into trouble for being in the wrong place. 

He peaks inside and scans the room, ahead the sound of grunting catches his attention. Renjun closes the door behind him carefully to not make much noise, even his gentle footsteps echoed loudly all around him. The building was beautiful, but that came as no surprise, what stood out most to him was the random holes on the wall or burnt pieces of decoration. 

The hallway gradually widens the further he walked until he finds himself inside a big hall. An explosion of flames catches his attention, the boy squints his eyes and sighs in relief when he recognises Jiho from far away. 

Carefully, Renjun begins walking in the direction of what he assumed was a fight between the twins just to ask for directions. He had only been told that the training hall needed to be organized once again as it had been neglected for far too long, but Renjun had no idea where to start or even what exactly he was supposed to fix — the hall was empty save for the two brothers. 

"Hey." The boy calls out but none of the boys seem to notice his presence. Renjun looks at his hands then sigh deeply before rising one up in the air, flames shoot up towards the high ceiling and finally, the twins come to a halt. "Hey, i need your help, if you don't mind."

"Oh wow, you firebend?" Jiho smirks ignoring entirely what the boy had said. 

_ Here we go again _ Renjun groans inside his head. "Yes, anyways i was told to organize this place but as far as i'm seeing there is nothing to organize?" He gestures towards the big empty all as he speaks. 

"This." Jeno says before pointing the palm of his hand towards the wall which slowly begins rising. "We have different training tools that we keep in there but after we train we're too tired to care for organization so some of the things are in the wrong places."

Renjun grimaces as he observes the mess ahead of him, not only because everything was scattered all over the place, but because he knew he'd spend hours fixing it all up. "I can organize everything as i please or do you have anything specific placement in mind?"

"We can help you." Jiho suggests before Jeno could even open his mouth to speak. 

"Short answer is, not really." Jeno mutters while glaring at his brother. "You can mostly do as you please but we'll be here to help with  _ certain  _ things if needed."

"Thank you." Renjun bows slightly, his eyes lock with Jeno's and he cracks a smile from how annoyed the boy looked. Jeno shoots him a tight-lipped smile back before the two boys go back to training. 

He stares at the equipment with a frown on his face and his hands on his hips, he knew when he signed up to be a servant it meant he'd get to do annoying jobs but the state of the place was driving him to desperation and he hadn't even started cleaning it all up. Renjun  _ almost  _ wished he had been assigned with toilet cleaning, at least that wouldn't give him awful back pains. Some of the equipment looked extremely heavy, there was no way in hell he'd manage to transport it without help,  _ unless… _

Renjun looks all around him and sighs, he didn't want to approach the brothers again but he had no clue how to get around the place. So he sucks in a breath, turns around, and heads towards the mess of flames in the distance. "You guys…" The boy says loudly this time around so they'd hear right away. In his head, speaking in that tone was highly disrespectful, but showcasing his bending to attract their attention felt even more like an infringement. 

Jeno is the first to straighten himself up, he smiles softly at Renjun as he waits for him to speak. "Is there a bathroom? Or just any water source in general?" 

The brothers frown in confusion at first and then look at each other for a few seconds as if they could speak to one another through telekinesis.  _ Twin things, _ Renjun supposed. 

"We keep a tank filled with water to practice with, is that the sort of thing you need?" Jeno asks gently as if scared to offend Renjun in any way. 

"Perfect!" 

He stands by the side as the two boys open yet another 'secret door' revealing the tank filled with water inside. Renjun comes closer and then grins, it was perfect. "Thank you so much!" 

"Anything else you need just call." Jiho says seductively and then winks. Renjun wants to laugh but he swallows the urge and bows instead to thank them once again. Before the blonde boy could say anything else that'd be extremely embarrassing for both, Jeno drags him away with the excuse that they already wasted too much of their precious training time. The comment wasn't meant to make Renjun feel bad, but it ended up doing so anyways. 

He promises himself to not bother them anymore, if he needed anything he'd find his way around alone. After all, he was the servant that should work for them, but it sure looked like it was the opposite from how bothersome he was being. 

The boy stands right in front of the tank, shoulders rolled back and head raised up high, then slowly elevates his arms until they're above his head. Most, if not all, of the water inside the contaner hoovers up in the air at his command, he smirks proudly of his doing then begins guiding the liquid in the direction of the storage place. 

From the corner of his eyes, he notices that the brothers had halted their practicing and were looking at him curious of what he was about to do. A sense of pride erupts in his chest, Renjun knows he's no master but there was no denying that waterbending was one of his best skill.  _ Heck _ , not everybody could manage to bend that much water at the same time. 

With a twirl of his fingers, a smaller strand of water flows in the direction of one of the trampolines and wraps around the metal bars supporting it up. Another flicker of his fingers and a second water stream tugs at a different bar and then, in a quick brusque motion, the water manages to drag the trampoline across the floor creating loud screechy noise that echoed inside the whole building. 

The boy quickly plans where everything should be, jumping items here, muscle building there, a spectacle of floating objects commences as Renjun relocates everything into their respective spots. His arms ache from constantly having to keep the large blob from collapsing against the floor, but he was feeling too good about himself for having figured out a way around his dilemma to care. Plus, he could still feel the brothers' attention on him and he was set on giving them the best show he could muster. It gave him a sense of power. Yes, he was a servant, but there was more to him than that, and his pretty face which was constantly being deemed his most desirable trait. To shove them in their face that he wasn't nearly as weak as they might have assumed boosted him ego more than any compliment to his appearance ever could. 

As he stares at the display of organized practice tools, Renjun grins the widest he had in a  _ very long time.  _ Finally it felt he had done something actually productive and worthy of praise. His arms threatened to give in anytime soon though so he doesn't quite get to relish it, he jogs towards the tank with the water floating above his head like an umbrella and, as soon as he's close enough, the boy allows the entire blob fall inside the container. 

A sense of relief washes over him. He swings his arms all about and then begins massaging them as he walks back to the storage place, the boy tells himself he was merely going to check if there was something out of place that he had missed but truthfully he wished to appreciate his  _ art _ one more time before heading off. 

"Hey pretty thing." Jiho calls out just before he puts his arm around Renjun's shoulder, only the Gods knew how much the boy wanted to punch the blonde for the sudden infringement of his space bubble. "So you're an amazing bender, that wasn't in your resume."

"Wasn't required."

He laughs. "You should come for a match sometime."

"I'm afraid i'll probably be too busy to do so." Renjun wants to bolt out of there already, Jiho seemed to find it amusing to tease him but he sure didn't. He wasn't being flirtatious, at least that was what Renjun had made himself believe. 

"I could get you some free time."

"That's not fair to others." He retorts and then, smoothly, manages to get himself out of the other's embrace. "Speaking of duties and no free time, i have work i still have to do for today." Renjun says quickly so the boy wouldn't get the chance to cut him off easily. "If you'll allow me."

And then he's already on his way out, back turned to Jiho as he fast walks towards the hall that led to the door. 

Working for the Sonrinsas had, so far, been easier than he had ever expected it to be. They were kind and understanding, even when older servants messed something up they didn't get punished, it was just brushed off and expected of them to not commit the same mistake twice. After all the scary stories he had heard about being a servant, Renjun had honestly expected the worse, so he definitely felt happy to have found a good working place. 

The only thing that truly ever annoyed him was Jiho. Already if the boy was hitting on him, his life as a servant would've been made hard. Jiho was attractive, and even though Renjun wasn't someone desperate for some sort of romantic adventure, he knew it wouldn't be hard to be swayed by such a handsome face. But that wasn't even the case, his flirty attempts masked a layer of childishness that irritated him immensely. He wasn't some prize, or tool to get back at his parents, or whatever Jiho truly saw him as. Renjun just knew he didn't want to play his game. 

Then again, the more he tried to fight it the more Jiho seemed to find it amusing.  _ What a classic.  _ Renjun couldn't believe what he had gotten himself into. 

"Renjun, wait."

He stops and turns around to make sure it wasn't Jiho who had called out for him, thankfully it hadn't. Renjun pats his own back for already having begun to distinguish the brother's voices apart. "Yes?" 

"I'm so sorry about my brother." Jeno apologises looking genuinely sorry, Renjun immediately relaxes. "He's always like this, we try to make him stop but he never does. Hope it isn't much of an inconvenience, i know you're a busy man."

"It's alright really." He smiles gently and then chuckles when Jeno's entire body deflates. "I actually don't have anything assigned to me today apart from that. I suppose they expected me to take all day." Renjun smirks proudly. "Just wanted to find an excuse to leave as soon as possible."

The brunette nods. "In that case, can i keep you company on your way back? I'm done with practice myself and i'm already here." Jeno mumbles, like a child asking for their parents consent. It was amusing, and highly endearing considering the boy had a higher status than him in the household. He was his boss after all, so if he wished to walk alongside him, Renjun didn't really have a say in it. 

"That's quite alright." 

It's quiet. Renjun had no idea what to talk about or even if he should, so he doesn't. They walk alongside the gardens without ever opening their mouths to speak, but it isn't as awkward as he had expected it to be. With that being said, though, he does wish he had gone alone for he could've taken his time to stop by the pretty flower plantations that they had begun growing a few weeks back. He could always ask Jeno if he could keep going on his own, it just felt rude of him to do so, and even though the boy had been nothing but gentle with him, he still intimidated him. Plus, Renjun knew he could appreciate his and his colleagues' hard work sometime later anyways. 

"I was wondering." Jeno suddenly breaks the peaceful silence and almost makes the other shriek in surprise. "Which elements can you bend?" 

"Water, fire, earth."

"No air?" 

"No air indeed."

The brunette nods and keeps on walking looking straight ahead. The next time Renjun hears his voice he could already see the large white building in the distance. "You're really good with water, is it your main element?" 

"It is, yes. Thank you!" He bows mid walking, the compliment genuinely felt good to hear. It had been quite a while since he had been praised for his bending skills, Jaemin and his parents weren't phased anymore, and he barely got the chance to show his true potential as a servant. Watering the fields took practically no effort. 

"Mine's fire and earth, but i'm better at fire." He shares without Renjun asking — much to the boy's surprise. "Jiho is also strong with fire so that's what we practice with when we do it as a duo, plus he can't earthbend and i can't do anything else but those two."

Jeno stops talking abruptly, as if his words suddenly had been sucked back into his mouth just as he was about to speak them. He must've noticed his rambling for he coughs and then chuckles. 

"Either way, when Jiho mentioned it i don't think he was serious but i thought about it and, frankly, a match would be interesting."

"Between us three?" 

The boy shrugs. "Sure, us three works. Would you be interested? I'm sure you're busy but it never hurt anybody to take a break."

All Renjun hears is  _ "I'll ask my parents to give you time off because i can"  _ and he's already sold by the idea of getting some extra free time without wasting the one he'd been promised when he signed the contract. Just two measly full weeks. It wasn't much at all, he already knew he'd waste them all on holidays to go back home. 

"Honestly? I think that sounds great. I rarely get to put my bending to use."

"So it's a deal!" Jeno smiles brightly and extends his arm for Renjun to shake his hand. 

The boy stares down at it, there were burnt marks splashed all around the skin but somehow it didn't look bad. He liked it. 

"Deal."

  
  
  
  
  


Renjun didn't hate his job, not at all, but he had to admit one of his favourite times of the entire day was when all the servants would gather to eat inside the big hall. That was where he felt he could relax and actually feel normal, finally he didn't have to constantly keep a straight posture and think through every single word that left his lips. Nobody cared then, for they all felt tired of being perfect all day. 

Making friendships — or rather, acquaintances — was easy, everyone wanted to get along to build a sort of support system. You do this, i repay you with that. Renjun gladly went along with it all, especially with the cooks which promised him bigger dosages of food if he managed to delay the Sonrisas eating time by about ten minutes. Meals were always a hassle, any extra time was of great help. 

All it took from Renjun were a few seductive sway of his hips to grab some male attention and delay the entire process. Arsen were always awfully easy to persuade, and in turn Renjun got not only more food to get by but a sense of power that he had never enjoyed before — they could stare all they wished, fantasise even, but unless he permitted, they could never touch. 

"Guys, quiet." One of the women whisper yells and immediately the noise inside the room diminishes as if the Gods had turned down the volume of their voices in some sort of divine device. 

They wait attentively turned to the glass wall expecting something,  _ anything _ . There must've had a reason they had been told to quiet down after all, and maybe if they were all quiet enough they'd be able to hear it too like the woman sitting at the furthest end nearby the wall. 

"But father, last year you refused as well. I don't see how it's fair." It's Jiho, his voice filled Renjun's ears as faintly as a whisper, but he could recognise it was him even then. "It'll my twenty first birthday! I deserve a grand party, it's my coming of age ceremony after all."

A wave of groans erupts inside their room that is quickly shut down by the same woman of before. Renjun furrows his eyebrows in confusion at the collective negative reaction, he'd think a party would be better than the regular boring chores, it'd bring some spice into their daily lives as servants. He looks to his side and locks eyes with Jia who pulls his closer by placing her arm around his shoulder. "Jiho doesn't throw parties, he throws God-like banquets. And if anything goes wrong…" She trails off leaving the boy to imagine what that could possibly mean. 

Maybe Renjun was an idiot, a naive, oblivious fool, but excitement still bubbles inside his chest at the thought of witnessing a grand party in such a luxurious house. 

_ Maybe _ . 

He'd soon find out. 


	5. doomed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi guys please read the end notes plspls

**T** he next few weeks could only be described as a chaotic frenzy. The usual chores went by as normal, but everyone was expected to work faster just so they'd have the extra time to plan Jiho's party that was soon to come. Renjun had been assigned to design the decorations, a role he had gotten from Mrs Sonrisa who had approached him as he watered the plants nearby her chambers. She had apparently remembered the little detail in his resume about enjoying art and everything related to it, Renjun couldn't be more grateful to finally put his passion onto something that mattered. It always felt like a lump of fresh air to go back to planning after a long day of chores, often he'd extend his work to his free time but not because he felt it was his duty, but rather because he truly enjoyed it. 

That wasn't the case for most servants though. Every dinner, when all gathered around the massive table, Renjun found himself in the middle of a sea of laments. He too would find it tiresome if he had been assigned to something else such as stamping invitations or planning the timeline for the evening's events. 

As he trims the heart shaped bush in the middle of a rose field — a shrine to Venus that Mrs Sonrisa had decided to build as a personal 'Thank You' to the God after she and Mr Sonrisa had gotten married — Renjun can't help but find himself thinking about which decorations would fit the main hall the best. His eyes might've been technically looking at the plant ahead, but his mind was somewhere else entirely, so much so that he doesn't realise the newly found presence that stood mere meters away from him. 

"Hey pretty thing." Jiho calls out loud enough to snap him back to reality. 

Renjun squeaks softly and then frowns, he was so engrossed into his planning that he had totally forgotten who he had been doing all that work for. The realisation almost made him wish to butcher the entire thing just so the boy would get a taste of his bitterness, but those petty thoughts soon get brushed off. Renjun didn't have the heart to do such things, though sometimes Jiho _really_ tested his moral limits. 

"Wanna ditch work and hang with us?" He asks with a slight smirk. 

"Can't. I have to finish my work so i can go back to planning your party." Renjun says making sure to highlight the fact that the only reason he could not go was because of Jiho. Maybe then the boy would leave him alone, he had an easy to brush ego like that. 

"If the planning goes wrong the blame is all on me." The blonde quirks his eyebrows and then looks around at his friends who surrounded him. "So just join us for a bit, we don't bite."

Renjun stares at the unfamiliar faces hesitantly, then his eyes meet with a pair of familiar black ones and his heart calms down in his chest. Jeno shoots him a sympathetic smile, one that asked for forgiveness for his brother's actions, it comforted Renjun. At the very least he could latch onto the comfortable presence of the other twin who had yet to mistreat him in any shape, way or form. 

"Fine." He grumbles and places his tools on the box nearby, promising to himself that he'd return to finish the job before the day finished even if that meant he had to give away his usual free time.

Jiho's face lights up as the boy walks in his direction, not even Renjun's annoyed expression seemed to make him give up. He always had to have his way, no wonder he had turned out to be a spoiled brat, and perhaps it was the fact that everything was always given to him so easily that made Renjun's stubborn self so intriguing. 

Without knowing where he was being led to, the servant silently follows behind. Though it could seemingly look like he wasn't paying attention, Renjun was in fact as attentive as a predator analysing its prey. He was so focused on the back of Jiho's head that he doesn't notice that Jeno had shifted closer until the boy coughs loudly. When Renjun snaps his his head to the side Jeno smiles awkwardly and licks his lips before leaning towards him. "How's the planning going?" 

"Good, for me at least. Can't talk for most people though." He snorts. "Jiho is one hell of an eccentric guy and we were only given just over a month to get everything done."

Jeno sighs loudly, but not loud enough to drag attention to them. "Yeah i can imagine how stressful it's been.".

If there was something Renjun missed was chatting with people his own age. Jia wasn't old, but five year gap already felt like too much, and without his best friend anywhere near, there were many days where the boy just plummeted into a deep loneliness. So, even though he didn't feel exactly comfortable around the twins, at least he didn't feel lonely whenever they (or rather, Jiho) decided to butcher his plans. The familiar sound of chatter and laughter was already enough to cheer him up so, in a way, Renjun was thankful. 

He still wanted to kick the blonde where the sun don't shine. 

But still.

  


The tall tree's thick foliage protect them from the scorching hot sun, had it not been for that Renjun would've already probably asked to be excused. No matter how awkward he felt, the fact that he was getting his well deserved break from having his skin be abused by the harsh sunrays was already enough to convince him to remain there — watching as the boys tried their very best to create a melody using the 'instruments' they had found along the way. 

Needless to say that the noise they managed to create was nothing but pleasing to the ear, but Renjun knew his place. There was no way in hell he'd break their spirit, they seemed to be enjoying themselves anyways. 

"Renjun join us!" Jiho whines childishly and does grabby hands in the general direction of the other. 

The servant furrows his eyebrows then smiles smugly when it all clicks inside his brain. "You're drunk, you all are."

"No way!" One of the boys, whose name Renjun vaguely remembered, exclaims loudly as an attempt to defend himself like he was being scolded. Drunk people weren't exactly known to be the best liars. 

"Yes way, for example i have never seen Jeno so relaxed ever since i got here."

"Jeno always has a stick up his butt." Jiho bites and chuckles loudly when his brother throws a stick at him. "I like getting him drunk that's the only time he becomes fun to be around."

Renjun leans back on the bench and smirks, at first it was intimidating to have to deal with the brother's constant bickering, but as time passed by it was more fun than anything — except for when things got too intense and one of them, most likely Jiho, would begin threatening the other with his powers. It wasn't so fun then. 

"Renjun, can you hear me?" Jeno calls out, voice wavering with each syllable that left his mouth. 

"Sound and clear."

"Do you think i'm boring?"

He cringed, inwardly of course, one of the skills he had mastered the best was keeping a straight face even if his brain would be screaming inside his head. "No, i don't."

"See!" The brunette whines while looking at his brother who scoffs. 

"He's our servant what is he supposed to say? The truth? Dumbass."

Renjun bites down on his lip to keep the laughter from coming out, the truth was Jiho was right, even if he found Jenonto be the most boring man on Earth he wouldn't be able to say so. Though he genuinely didn't find him boring, rather an old soul trapped in a young man's body, and from what he had observed that had only happened because of the pressure put on him for one of them to behave well considering Jiho could not spend one hour without doing something reckless. Maybe his assumptions were wrong and Jeno had truly been born more mature and goal oriented, but if his theory was right he couldn't help but pity the boy. 

They go on with their little concert. Donghyuck, one of the friends whose name had finally clicked in his brain, had begun singing midway and thankfully (for everyone's ears) was surprisingly good at it. Renjun almost forgets who he was supposed to be to them all, a servant, at times and cracks jokes which would probably get him into trouble had they been sober. But they weren't, so he got bold, and bolder. 

"Maybe we should just have you guys play at Jiho's coming of age party instead of making a bunch of busy servants plan an orchestra." He teases at some point when all of them began harmonising rather well. 

"Why is everyone so whiny about my party?! Wouldn't _you_ want a grand party? If, you could, that is."

Renjun doesn't bother forcing a blank face, instead he makes sure to allow the blonde to read right through him and see his disappointment. "Yes i am not rich i can't afford not even a quarter of what you own but that doesn't mean i personally still find it to be a bit too extreme."

Silence falls like a suffocating blanket, but he refuses to try to lighten the mood by going back on his word just to stroke Jiho's awfully annoying ego. All he wished for was to not get in trouble for being so frank, the alcohol's effect was already starting to fade so it was more than possible that Jiho wasn't giddy enough to not get mad. 

"You know what i always liked about you, Renjun? Since the very first second i saw you." He finally breaks the ice and he's… _smiling._ "I can tell you're fiery, your keeping-your-posture skills are immaculate, but i can still see the fire in your eyes. It's refreshing." 

He stands still, so still that Renjun himself thinks he might've died. Was the fact that Jiho wasn't mad good news when he, at the same exact time, got to know the boy _actually_ liked him and wasn't teasing just because of some childish whim? Renjun couldn't tell, he could neither feel relieved nor happy. 

"I like seeing those flames burn bigger and stronger, your face is blank right now but i can see them dancing still."

It's Jeno who saves him from having to speak, or at the very least react to what had been said. "We should start heading back now, it's getting dark."

Renjun looks up at the sky, it was far from dark, but nobody seems to question it. Even Jiho gets up and throws his 'instruments' away, all the while making sure to look at Renjun enough times to drive the other insane — and not in a good way. He knew eventually he'd need to acknowledge what Jiho had said, but he begged every God to save him from that mortifying task. 

Eventually he too follows behind, making sure that he was far enough from the blonde to not get teased by him. Once more it's Jeno who saves the day by joining him at the back and making sure he looked busy enough for Jiho to not try anything, or at least make it harder for him to do so. 

"How are you?" Jeno asks gently. "You can be honest this time."

"Feeling very much awkward." He admits with a forced chuckle, a useful technique he had learnt to make the situation seem less serious. "And i was being honest about you not being boring too."

There was a reason why the family was known for their smiles, but it still took him by surprise each time. Jeno's face instantly looks brighter, kinder, as his eyes turn into crescents. "Ah really? Even i think i'm boring, you must've not been with me enough."

"Well it's always Jiho who talks to me."

"And you hate it? I know most people find it irritating but you seemed so uncomfortable back there i got worried you genuinely want to murder my brother." He pauses, licks his lips, then tilts his head. "Which frankly, i would understand. Can't say it isn't something that hasn't passed through my head more than once" 

"I don't wanna _kill_ him, i'm getting used to him." Renjun says, so softly that Jeno has to lean down to hear him better. "Sort of."

They keep on walking, the three boys in front of them chat loudly about something that Renjun couldn't bother to care for. Jeno remains by his side, sort of like a bodyguard with his perfect posture and threatening expression — though his resting face always looked like that, he didn't need to put much effort into looking intimidating as long as he didn't smile.

"Look if you need anything, you can talk to me." The brunette says just as the white house begins to show up in the horizon. "I know it's weird, you're supposed to be my servant and all, but seriously i know how annoying and pushy Jiho can be. Not saying it's a life or death situation and that you're not capable of getting out of it yourself-" He stops and then coughs when he realises he had started babbling, Renjun sucks on his bottom lip so to not laugh or even crack a smile. "But i know him best out of everyone here, i can help you. It'd be a shame if you'd start to hate working here because of him."

Jeno has the face of a God, Renjun is certain that that had been his first thought when he saw the twins. Except not only did he have the face, or overall appearance, of a divine being, but he too appeared to possess a heart made out of the most precious diamonds in the world. It was almost unfair to be that perfect. 

When he finally snaps out of his little inner ramble, the boy finds he had been standing there, unmoving, staring right at Jeno's face. "Sorry i'm so tired i spaced out." Renjun mumbles awkwardly and then bows. "I'm really grateful for the offer but this is all my duty, you're the one being served i won't cause you any stress. But, again, thank you, it's appreciated." He says while still looking down at the floor then, just as he's about to leave, straightens his back again and looks right into Jeno's eyes. "I had a nice time today, but i really should get going now."

Technically, it's rude of him to walk away without giving the boy time to answer or even react, but Renjun's brain was going off at light speed which enabled him from thinking properly. It's only when he reaches his room and sits on the bed that it hits him and then a long, loud whine escapes through his lips. 

Jeno was too nice to be annoyed at the action, but relying on his kind heart to get away with things wasn't viable nor morally correct. The day had been far too long, filled with way too many awkward and emotionally draining experiences, Jeno's speech had the been the last drop. All he wanted to do was stay in that small room, hearing the birds chirp outside as he reconsiders every life decision he had ever made. 

But he can't, dinner time was just around the corner, hence he needed to clean himself up and look presentable again. So, even though his brain screamed loudly in his head for him to sit back down, Renjun pushes through.

His reflection in the mirror makes him flinch, his hair had fallen down covering his forehead once again, and he could see some dirt stain on his left forearm that he could not, for the life of him, recall how it could've possibly gotten there. He changes quickly and cleans his face before styling his hair up again, somehow even then Renjun was unamused by how he looked but there was no time to dwelt upon it. 

Duty calls — or better yet, Jia does, just from outside his door warning him that they had to hurry if they were to prepare everything on time. 

  
  
  


Renjun gets back to his room exhausted, both mentally and physically. Everytime he would have to be in the same room as the twins his lungs magically seemed to shrink making it hard to breathe. Thankfully he had been let off to eat with his peers soon after the Sonrisa's got properly served, but not even the delicious food made him perk up. 

He flops onto his bed and lays there, as if dead. Outside, the birds had been replaced by crickets, and the lukewarm breeze had turned chilly. Renjun rolls to his side and stares out of the open window towards the moon above and then sighs, he felt lonely once again. Lonely and overwhelmed. All he wanted was some company but not even the Gods seemed to wish to compel, he hadn't gotten a visit in days. 

Everyone had left him to die — or so it felt, though he knew that wasn't the truth, his tired brain was playing tricks on him. 

After groggily changing clothes into his comfortable pajama, Renjun decides it's time to sleep. Usually he'd spend the next two hours painting or reading, but that night the boy had had enough of everything. He needed a good full night sleep to recover and start the next day fresh as the fish Miss Woon brought early morning — though hopefully he wouldn't be as stinky, for no matter how fresh they were Renjun couldn't stand the smell that oozed of the forsaken fish. 

Usually sleep came easy, especially in days of greater physical strain, but Renjun finds himself unable to black out even though his head felt heavy and his body was sore. Everytime he'd close his eyes all he could see were two pairs of eyes staring right into his, it was driving him insane,so he gives up. He lights thay sat nearby his bed the candle on fire by with a quick twitch of his stretched out hand above it, and then grabs a blank canvas. 

He doesn't know why he does it, his brain appeared to be working on automatic mode as he skillfully sketches on the white surface. When he stops and leans back to analyse his work, Renjun realises he had drawn his vision. 

The boy gulps, suddenly his blood rises up from all over his body to his face heating it up from embarrassment.

It's Jeno. He had drawn Jeno. 

After a few seconds of coming to terms with the fact that he had drawn the twin, and trying to tell himself that it was completely normal and not that big of a deal, Renjun ends up throwing the canvas under his bed as if that'd miraculously cease its existence. 

He blows the candle and lays back down, face pressed down onto the expensive, soft material of his pillow. 

And still, even then, the vision refuses to leave. 

"I'm doomed." Renjun whines to himself before dramatically throwing a tantrum. "Utterly doomed!" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello i didnt update for a whole ass month Yes, that is true and that's what i wanna talk about here... 
> 
> so uni just started for me it's a whole new experience, first week was an emotionally draining roller-coaster ride and im still getting used to it. and as ive come to find out its actually pretty time consuming (at least for now) so basically where im going w this is that.... i don't think i will be updating for a while, i think i'll go on hiatus till i figure my shit out so that when i return i wont keep disappearing without notice. like at least now ure AWARE that i wont be updating for a while and that makes me feel more at ease, and YES i will foshure be returning!!! 
> 
> mwah i love u thank u for all the support so far TT

**Author's Note:**

> [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/jenosuke) [twitter](https://mobile.twitter.com/ultraviolentae) [carrd](https://kismet-noren.carrd.co/)


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